Facebook-First Is Another Slam Dunk For The NBA’s Tech MVP

The NBA season has begun; and while the most pressing question is ‘can anyone beat Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors on the court?’, at PrettyGreen we’re also asking ‘can anyone beat the Sacramento Kings on social media?’.

In July, the Kings launched an augmented reality app in partnership with Nike that allowed fans to personalise their new uniform and virtually photograph themselves with star players.

This wasn’t the first time the Sacramento Kings had showcased their flair for tech, with the team claiming to be the first in the NBA to: Join Twitter, host an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit with players and stream a game internationally through Virtual Reality.

Last year they even moved into Golden 1 Center, the first indoor sports venue to be entirely powered by solar energy.

And for their season opener, the Sacramento Kings are set to be the first NBA team to use Fundraising with Facebook Live, with a halftime performance from Lil Jon that will be livestreamed to fans across the world. Those watching will have the opportunity to donate directly to the American Red Cross.

The Kings announced the activation in response to local, active wildfires and the hurricanes that have greatly affected Houston, the Gulf Coast, Florida and the Caribbean.

As Kings Owner and Chairman, Vivek Ranadive, put it – “Utilising sport as an agent of change for communities around the globe is one of our core values. On opening night, we’ll be able to use our platform for good, amplified by Lil Jon’s exciting performance and reach audiences around the globe to help those in immediate need.”

At PrettyGreen we’re excited to see how this plays out and predict that many sports teams will be following their lead this season, particularly with Facebook now introducing its donate buttons to the UK. Is it only a matter of time before football clubs like Manchester United, City and Chelsea are teaming with sponsors Adidas and Nike to raise funds for charity live from matches?

For now though, we’re just standing to applaud the undisputed MVP of tech and our new adopted NBA team…the Sacramento Kings.